Automatic GPS on your cellphone

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Sprint is offering the U.S.’s first cellphone equipped for GPS-enhanced services today, making it the only company to meet the FCC’s mobile phone location detection deadline–and only partially at that. Sprint will sell the Samsung SPH-N300 phone for US$149.99 (though it’s not on the Sprint phones Web page yet), and it comes with the GPS (Global Positioning System) location functionality mandated by the Federal Communications Commission.

Because cellphone calls to 911 (estimated at around 140,000 per year) do not give the 911 operator location information, the FCC mandated that wireless companies “be able to locate 67 percent of callers to 911 within 50 meters that elect the handset solution while those using network technology must be able to locate the caller within 100 meters.” Wireless companies must also have one-quarter of the new cellphones they offer equipped to provide that location information by the end of the year, and all new cellphones so equipped by the end of next year.

Verizon, Cingular, AT&T, and other major carriers all requested delays and have nothing to offer at this point–the FCC will review those requests in the next few days. Sprint also filed a delay request because it is only offering the location service in Rhode Island, and not until next month. Sprint confidently predicts its “lead” in GPS-enhanced services will be maintained, however, and plans to roll the service out to other locations soon, along with location-based commercial services for cellphone customers, like “driving directions, traffic services and entertainment information.”

For more information, please see the Reuters item. You can also check out the Samsung SPH-N200 phone on sale now for what are sure to be some of the same specs on the new SPH-N300.

SAM’S OPINION

While I understand the FCC’s decision to require automatic location information for 911 calls, I am not happy about wireless carriers and the government being able to pinpoint me whenever I use my cellphone. I guess it’s possible that the automatic GPS feed could be blocked when you’re not calling 911, but I would be very surprised if that’s going to be the case. Basically, we’re just going to have to trust our wireless carriers not to watch where we’re making calls from. Here’s a related news item from August warning of the slippery slope from having that information available for emergency purposes to constant location monitoring every time you use the phone. Yes, the obvious answer is that if you’re worried about the privacy infringement you should just do without the cellphone’s convenience, but I guess that’s not a good enough answer for me–I want to be able to enjoy technology’s benefits without having to worry about another piece of my life being recorded on a mainframe somewhere. Ah, the burdens of modernity. :) In the long run, I guess most people won’t let the tracking capabilities bother them (as I won’t if I really want a cellphone), but it’s important to be aware of them.

As for the fact that none of the major wireless carriers are ready for this FCC mandate (Sprint’s compliance is only minimal, and it’s weird that the phone still isn’t showing up on the website, nor at Samsung Electronics’ site), I have a feeling there won’t be any penalties imposed. If it were just one or two companies that weren’t ready it would be a different story, but the fact that none of the big folks had the phones or the infrastructure in place means that the October 1 deadline was unrealistic, whether that’s because the phonemakers couldn’t get the right chips or whether the big companies didn’t take the deadline seriously.

USER COMMENTS 83 comment(s)

(9:34am EST Mon Oct 01 2001)– by fp

Bleep-Bleep-Bleep….(9:38am EST Mon Oct 01 2001)
“Hello?” “Mr. Booth, this is the North Appleton Police Department. We understand you have entered the perimeter of a known crack house. Please come down to our department at your leisure and answer a few questions for us” – by Gropo

privacy chipped away a little more(10:03am EST Mon Oct 01 2001)
Let’s say I make 3 cellphone calls per week for the next 20 years. Let’s also say that once during those 20 years I have an emergency where I need help but don’t know where I am.That means that 99.9997% of the time, my cellphone will needlessly transmit my GPS location. That data will *certainly* be stored in a database. Doesn’t take long to develop a nice little profile for a person with that kind of data. All sorts of things can be inferred about a person once you know their daily travels.

It’s just a matter of time before your cellphone will beep every time you drive by a McDonalds, offering an online coupon. Make your own decisions, but I don’t like it one bit.

I’d much rather see the GPS as a user-controllable on/off feature. Or, as Sam said, active only when 911 is dialed. I doubt it’s going to happen it’s going to be turned on full time. That bothers me. A lot.

– by mike

well(10:34am EST Mon Oct 01 2001)
just use an older phone if you don’t want to be tracked. Or get a “hacker” to disable it just like they disabled the Macrovision on my DVD player. – by Zaph1

Sounds great(10:37am EST Mon Oct 01 2001)
I’ve been waiting for my cell phone to include GPS. The less I have to carry around the better. And GPS is one great gadget, especially once it gets connected to wireless information ttransfer (no more having to upload maps). As fot the privacy issue. Why are you so paranoid. If you’re going to do something illegal or unsavory, leave the phoe at home. And if you really don’t want others to know where you are, you should probably walk around in disguise, or I might see you and invade your privacy by knowing you’re at the mall. Relax, you’re not that important. – by SaySo

fun, fun, fun!(10:38am EST Mon Oct 01 2001)
So much for speeding. Cops will love this phone. Not only will it tell them you’re speeding, but it will lead them right to you. – by SteveB

What about now?(10:46am EST Mon Oct 01 2001)
I don’t think you are giving up too much of your privacy because they already register from which cell the phone call was made, and these cells have a fixed, known location. If they would like to know your whereabouts then it is already possible with current technology, it’s just that it is not accurate enough for emergency purposes.
With higher mobile phone frequencies in the future the individual cell range gets smaller and therefore more accurate for registering your location. – by earlyworm

They are not gonna rest…(11:09am EST Mon Oct 01 2001)
…until we all have little transponders in our bodies that will track us all throughout our life. To paraphase Ben Franklin., anyone who trades safety for liberty loses them both. – by Pat Henry

re: SaySo(12:19pm EST Mon Oct 01 2001)
SaySo, I feel you’re looking at this from the wrong point of view. It seems that your position is: “If you’re not doing anything wrong, then you have nothing to hide”.I’m against cell phones having GPS- if it’ll help save the life of the some idiot who’s so dumb that he doesn’t know what highway he’s on when he drives into a river, then great, I’m all for it. Especially of it doesn’t increase the cost of the phone. But I WANT TO CONTROL WHEN IT’S ON AND OFF. If I turn off my GPS feature and die because of it, who cares? It was my choice.

I don’t see that happening, however. You just *know* that barring legislation against it, your position is going to be broadcast and stored all the time. Even if it’s never used, even if I’m a perfectly law-abiding citizen, it really creeps me out to know that every move I make will be filed away in a database.

You know that unless we get some really good privacy laws on the books, we’re eventually going to get to the point where your cellphone call won’t even be completed unless your GPS is active. For your own safety, of course. IMO, that’s a bad thing.– by mike

Traffic(12:37pm EST Mon Oct 01 2001)
If each of the phones reports your location at all times this could be used to monitor traffic in real time. This info could be used to adjust signal times to improve traffic flow, or provided to emergency vehicals to avoid a slow down or find traffic slow downs on the express way. I think that OnStar will do the tracking of cars now, but don’t know how the information is used. – by Juice

Dilemma(1:24pm EST Mon Oct 01 2001)
GPS on a cellphone could be used for either good or evil. If it’s an always on system, government would have the ability to track user location, which might be helpful in after-the-fact criminal investigations. But I doubt that government would have the resources to constantly monitor the location of each individual phone.As a woman, I like the idea of having ‘Panic Button’ capability for situations where verbally describing an emergency might not be possible, a feature that works today with land-line telephones.

One of the limitations of the current GPS implementation is that it only works in two dimensions. They could track you to a specific building, but would be able to tell which floor because there is no vertical component.

Icesnake Frostfyre(1:37pm EST Mon Oct 01 2001)
According to MRI (Magnum Research Institute, makers of the Desert Eagle), you are lying about your possession of a firearm. Please make your statement, leave out the fluff. MRI says, “The Mark XIX Desert Eagle Pistol offers true interchangeability. Eight different pistols are available – .357 Magnum, .44 Magnum, .440 Cor-Bon Magnum, or .50 A.E., each with a 6-inch or 10-inch barrel. Purchase one pistol and you have the platform to build the other seven with a simple switch of components.” – by Gotcha!

What?(1:49pm EST Mon Oct 01 2001)
“I am not happy about wireless carriers and the government being able to pinpoint me whenever I use my cellphone.”They know exactly where you are when you use your home land line…

They know where you are within a couple mile radius when you use your cell phone now…

So what? Paranoid consumers are more dangerous than the government ever will be. We still outnumber the goverment several million to one. – by Calm down

Re: Calm down – Several million to one???(2:26pm EST Mon Oct 01 2001)
According to:There are approximately 2.7 million federal employees. And this excludes Postal workers.

Now, lets see…

270 million US population / 2.7 million Federal employees = Only 100 of us for each of them. – by HungryWolverine

heh(3:12pm EST Mon Oct 01 2001)
bill, you are correct. but having location tracking on your phone IF you choose to use it is not taking my liberty away. and you don’t have to buy/use a cellphone if you don’t want to. so all you paranoid idiot. go live in the cave.– by eskimo

SaySo(3:20pm EST Mon Oct 01 2001)Why are you so willing to allow the government (or any hacker who happens to tap into your phone’s frequency) to keep tabs on you at all times you’re carrying your cell phone?

All it would take is an evil doer out there with malicious intent and you’d be had. They could monitor you for a few days, discover your habits, roll up to your house disguised as a repair man, back up to the garage and start loading everything up!

It is one more of our freedom’s being eroded away. Before long, these little “who cares” freedoms (that everyone seems to not care about at all) will begin to add up to a major database with details on all cell phone carrying people. And, once it exists, anyone with access could predict (with amazing certainty) exactly where you’d be and when.

That’s information people *DO NOT NEED ACCESS TO* unless the individual chooses to give it out themselves.

– by Rick C. Hodgin

Eskimo(3:26pm EST Mon Oct 01 2001)So my solution is to:

#1 – Be one with the crowd, and use my cell phone, thereby giving away some of my liberties

– or –

#2 – Not use a cell phone, thereby giving up a very handy device, just to keep my liberties in tact.

—–

Don’t you see that it’s for the very fact that it is such a handy device, and they’re using that one aspect to force this kind of liberty atrocity upon us? If cell phone’s weren’t such great devices, this wouldn’t be an issue.

Besides, how many times have you been on your cell phone and not known where you were? Or not been able to ask someone where you were? Besides all of that, devices exist which could be handed out to the police agencies, which would allow them to track down a cellular signal.

Also, where does it say that the GPS feature is optional? That was part of Sam’s opinion, not a statement in the news item.

– by Rick C. Hodgin

It amazes me!(3:30pm EST Mon Oct 01 2001)I cannot believe how willing people are to take the responsibility out of their hands and give it to someone else.

If you leave the house, and something happens, you damned sure had better be paying enough attention to know where you are and how to get there.

If you do not then the fault is not with “the system which doesn’t have GPS and therefore can’t pinpoint me,” but rather at a much more personal source.

People have to have responsibility for their actions. They have to have responsibility for knowledge that might become crucial were some kind of event to take place which mandates the knowing of that information.

We cannot just go through life not caring about such things.

Ben Franklin was absolutely right. Anyone who cannot see the direction society is heading if we allow this continued erosion of our personal responsibilities is someone who absolutely deserves to live in such a society.

– by Rick C. Hodgin

Get a Grip…(4:45pm EST Mon Oct 01 2001)
Just because newer cell phones have this feature, or because it is possible to track someone’s whereabouts with an activated cell phone, doesn’t mean that you are foregoing some sort of liberty here. Your home phone has location features built into it, what are you going to do, not use your home phone? The choice to use this device is just that, a choice. No one is forcing you to use it or to upgrade your phone to a GPS capable one.As far as mass tracking of individuals and their location, it would be very surprising to me if this information were not considered to be reasonable expectation of privacy, which means that a warrent would have to be issued in order to collect & track it.

Could this data, in the distant future once GPS phones become the norm, be used in mass to make traffic decisions or report on potential traffic jams? Yes. Could it allow the police to track a criminal that is using a GPS cell phone? Yes. Could the data be used in an unfortunate fashion? Yes, but the fantastical scenarios listed here are just that.

If you don’t want to be tracked, you don’t use any device that emits radiation of any sort, regardless of whether its a GPS phone, regular digital, or analog. The number of lives that this would possibly save is potentially large and the increased response of emergency services is a benefit in my book (picture being on a trip and not knowing your location very well, you are in an accident, someone is hurt, and you have your cell phone).

You don’t like it, don’t buy a GPS phone or don’t turn it on. I for one applaud this technology. – by Action

Cell Phone GPS…(5:54pm EST Mon Oct 01 2001)
Over the summer I interned for a boston softeware company that specialzes in GPS, and that offereded clients cellphones with built in GPS. These clients would then issue these phones to their employees who had no idea the phones had GPS. The employees could call the phone anytime and get a location, which would show up on a computer screen with detailed street maps of the drivers location. Now, is it just me, or is that just wrong? I mean, I can see trying to make sure your workers(in this case it was truck drivers) are working, but putting GPS in a normal looking cell phone to purposefully catch people seems wrong and immoral. It didnt end there either, my company also offered “hidden” GPS transponders that could be easily concealed. Guess no one trusts anyone anymore. – by Latin School Sucks

unregulated, this is bad(6:18pm EST Mon Oct 01 2001)
This matter needs to be addressed from 2 different points of view:(1) I want the ability to turn tracking off altogether. There’s a 1/10000000 chance that I’ll drive into a lake and not know where I am, therefore needing GPS technology to save me. Those are pretty small odds.

That means 999999999/100000000 of the other times GPS data is transmitted will for uses OTHER THAN THE MAIN ARGUMENT FOR COMBINING THESE TWO TECHNOLOGIES IN THE FIRST PLACE. It’d be SO easy to abuse that wealth of data.

Which leads me to my second point:

(2) Of course no one is going track my movements in real time the technology’s not there yet. The point, however, is that all this data is *capable* of being stored and later retrieved to develop a suprisingly accurate portrait of one’s daily activities.

That’s fundmentally wrong unless there are strong, clear laws in place which govern this area. Right now there’s nothing in place. I’m absolutely no fan of burearacy, but in this case it’s absolutely necessary.

The argument of “if you don’t like it, then don’t use a cellphone” is terrifying. Just think about the meaning behind that. It opens the door wide open for all sort of privacy invasions. Bad stuff.– by mike

To Action:(6:52pm EST Mon Oct 01 2001)
How “fantastic” would it have been 10 or 15 years ago to think that people would be able to steal another person’s identity? Yet, it is now a common occurence… There are unintended consequences to everything we do. This technology opens the door for abuses we can’t even begin to imagine. – by tm.winston

Tech(4:28am EST Tue Oct 02 2001)
GPS can also do height if you get the right type, although it’s prone to the same randomiser effect.
Result: my yacht was apparently 30ft above sea level according to GPS…
I want to be able to get away from tech every now and then but also want to be able to send out my location if there’s an emergency. – by Bitbyter

over use.(7:54am EST Tue Oct 02 2001)
I never turn my phone on,unless I am making call, then I turn it off. I only make important calls with it, and only when there is no land line at hand. mayber 1-4 calls a weeek, maybe none…I think people overuse use modern technology, but to each their own…………..I will use my present phone, till it doesn’t operate any longer….. – by bobk

The discussions above got me thinking(10:05am EST Tue Oct 02 2001)
Why not have embedded GPS units in firearms? Location and shots fired would be transmitted, and officers would be able to tell where the bad guys were. – by Sundance Kid

Sundance Kid(11:27am EST Tue Oct 02 2001)Do you not realize that when you start incorporating devices like that into everyday items, then only the “bad guys” will have devices whereby those components have been removed?

And what are you going to do with the millions of guns already in existence without it?

Personal responsibility is the only answer. We must band together as a society and act as one voice against such problems. No matter what form it takes, legislation alone will *NEVER* keep “bad guys” from doing their bad things.

– by Rick C. Hodgin

Cell-phone + GPS?(12:10pm EST Tue Oct 02 2001)
Old news! Check out Benefon Esc! has been available in Europe for some time now. – by Janne

So what!(1:38pm EST Tue Oct 02 2001)
If you have nothing to hide, then you have nothing to worry about.This is for all those who think this is an invasion of privacy.

Public(5:14pm EST Tue Oct 02 2001)It is the principle, Public. If they do this today, then what’s to keep them from doing something else tomorrow? It could even be easier because there’s precedent.

And how long before they finally do traipse across a liberty that you do think is “over the line?”

– by Rick C. Hodgin

Public(8:29pm EST Tue Oct 02 2001)
I’m sure most of the jews thought that they had nothing to hide… – by Sick of Idiots

Nothing to hide…(2:27am EST Wed Oct 03 2001)
“If you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to worry about…” = complete and utter BULLSHIT!I do have something to hide, and something to worry about – it’s called MY PRIVACY. Do YOU understand that? It’s MY PRIVACY.

Damned morons – YOU tell me exactly WHY the government, or anyone MUST have access to this treasure trove of information just so I can have the wonderful convenience of using the cell phone.

I don’t tell people where I’m going to be and how I’m going to get there unless I choose to do so. Now all that’s needed is for some asshole to get a hold of my ESN/MSN and look up my GPS coordinates in a db somewhere. Find out when I go, how I get there build a nice profile. Then rob my house, subject me to attack (or unwanted useless advertisements), etc.

I don’t have a problem with this for 911 location, BUT I should have the ability to activate/deactivate it IF I CHOOSE! And it should only be for 911. – by Privacy Hound

How about…(2:29am EST Wed Oct 03 2001)
Listen dude – if you really don’t care about people knowing where and when you go – why not post your daily routine right here. Make sure to post the GPS coordinates of your Start point (home) and waypoints throughout the day (work, parking place for car, bank, Dr’s office).Make sure to give us at least one week’s first. Oh yeah, include your phone # so we can track your friends too…

I promise not to use it for anything bad! – by Dare ya

Deactivate GPS(2:33am EST Wed Oct 03 2001)
Somewhere in the phone is going to be a GPS antenna… What happens if I open up the phone and wrap the antenna in muMetal so it can’t receive the GPS signals? Or lock on to more than 1 satellite so the info’s accuracy is suspect…How about a switch to kick that antenna in/out…

OR, the data out stream on the chip – cut the trace… cut the pin… Wonder what would happen… That way the chip checksums should be OK (the chip works), but nothing happens with the data… It’s all “0” or “1” or random gibberish…

Of course some asshole would declare this as violating the DMCA by circumventing something so I wonder if I could declare my PRIVACY as copy protected, and that the phone was circumventing it and sue under the DMCA – by Electronics=my life

I know where I am, but do you??(1:16pm EST Wed Oct 03 2001)
I’ve seen many comments here that have vehemently expressed the notion that its your responsibility to know where you are at all times therefore, wireless location for 911 should not be a mandate because it is forcing us to incorporate a technology that is only required if we are stupid enough to not know where we are in an emergency.Have any of you people thought about the scenario where you might be in such a pickle that you are unconscious, and some other (emphasis on other) idiot needs to call 911 to get you an ambulance?? Do you want to count on everyone else being able to pinpoint their location to the right city block if you’re in trouble??

Wireless 911 is coming, and you can’t do anything about it. And so are non-emergency location based services. If you are so paranoid that every other idiot will be able to look at and determine your whereabouts all the time, then go out and make some noise and start lobbying, rather than sitting in your room surfing the web and whining. – by joeboxer

the frog theory(8:08pm EST Wed Oct 03 2001)
What is it? well if you put a frog in boiling water, the frog will try like hell to get out. Nowif you put it in room temperature and then slowy increase the heat the frog won’t get out because it doesn’t realize it’s getting warmer (just like you get used to the warm water of a bath) until it gets cooked.The meaning of this is that if someone makes you accept a small inconvenience, you get used to it and then keeps adding on to that(those) inconvenience(s)then eventually you will be choked by that…

A good exemple of this is the income tax..which started as a small % and only for the rich people, became a general ‘law’ (not sure it’s constitutional) for everybody with high %..

BTW in Canada we found that we don’t have to pay income tax because it’s inconstitutional and since the income system in the USA is the same well you probably don’t have to pay income tax..just check your constitution to know. It’s probably only 50 pages long.

do you Americans learn the constituion in school? – by SATAN

Where am I?(6:48am EST Thu Nov 08 2001)
To Rick C Hodgin: Someone carjacks you, sticks you in the trunk and drives for an hour. Where are you? The times when you don’t know where you are, are likely to be the most critical for someone else to be able to find you. Odds are against this happpening, but if it did…. – by Mugwump

What about that “OFF” button(1:33pm EST Mon Nov 19 2001)
Seems to me that the best of both worlds solution is the “off” button in the phone. I just purchased a Samsung SPH-N300 with GPS. It has an “off” setting for GPS that says it disables GPS except for actual 911 calls. Does it really turn it off? Can it be remotely turned on without user the user knowing it?If it really turns GPS off, except for 911 calls, it is the best of both worlds. That allows me to turn it on when I want the nifty convenient location based features that will soon be available (especially when I travel), but lets me avoid a location profile database when I choose to turn it off.

Does anyone know if “off” really means “off” ?– by GoodStuff

I HAVE ONE OF THESE….(11:47pm EST Sat Nov 24 2001)
Hey ppl was looking for accessories and I saw all this and wanted to drop a line and let you know that a, this phone is pretty nifty, b, sprint doesn’t even have the GPS ability in most areas yet, c, the phone does have an option when it comes to GPS info, options are 1, on for sprint and other service providers to see… 2, on ONLY for e911. Whether or not the phone actually does what it says when I switch the function off is out of my hands but I’m not going to do anything illegal to get a warrant on myself to see if they can find me via my cell phone. Cheers,
Lord_TK – by Lord_TK

Just another thought…(12:30am EST Thu Mar 21 2002)
You know when you use a mobile phone it is in constant contact with a tower. With the use of multiple towers a user can be ‘roughly’ located, this all without GPS! With future equipment upgrades to better systems the accuracy would certanly increase. Just think if ‘they’ added more ‘historical archiving’ to possibly ‘analyze’ your future movements! These upgrades could happen easily without consumer knowledge! As a software engineer, I know how easy these things are. Maybe that ‘off’ switch for the GPS was put there to make you think that ‘they’ were keeping you in mind when ‘they’ design consumer equipment!Ok…no more thoughts!

Swift sends… – by Swift

bad for ilegal immigrants like me!(1:56am EST Mon Apr 29 2002)
The INS will easily catch me even if I used my cell just Once.
How unlucky I will be!– by Bismilla

The off switch for always on mobile wireless.(9:46pm EST Thu Oct 17 2002)A simple method of making your wireless stuff invisible to any other wireless stuff or signal that would want to communicate with it.

– by mc

in the 80~S(7:07am EST Tue Jul 15 2003)
in the 80s they were trying to catch pablo eskubar and listen to his calls in a plane at 30 thousand feet and they did!! when he was a sleep they could remoteley turn the phone ON from the plane if he still had the battery in !! and they could listen to the calls in the days as well!!and that was in the 80s!! so you can bet they can locate you now!(by turning on your phone and less you get a proper haCKER TO LOOK AT THE PHON E TO DIS ABLE THE GPS THIER FIND YOU!!!!!!!!!!!! SO DONT TAKE IT WITH YOU OR USE OTHERS PEOPLEES!!!!!! – by THE MAN

The Only Solution(7:25pm EST Tue Aug 26 2003)
The only solution is to use technology against the lies……The foolproof personal lie detector with 99% accuracy could end most litigation and issues of law infingment instantly. Worn like a belt with a red/green light at the buckle – what do u have to hide? Unlike GPS this emergent technology could be a requirement for the ‘authorities’ to wear at all times esp. during ‘law enforcment’—Thats in a perfect world…………. – by sardonic

htgxrtfhrtfh(4:25am EST Thu Feb 26 2004)– by dsghsdrthtrh

GPS + GSM cell phone(1:08pm EST Tue Mar 23 2004)
Active GPS cell phone technology is now available in US from Benefon at They allow 3rd party GPS Services to be delivered to the phone by request. Although this does not preclude the networks/others from triangulating your location, it demonstrates that non invasive tech solutions are available. – by rik

My new business(10:42pm EST Sun May 09 2004)
I will start a store where all people come in and exchange there phones for some one elses onece a week. These people will come from anywhere in the world. Mail order transfer of phones too. Do you think that would confuse the GPS gods enough. Statr other stores and ship all inventory between them every so often. – by Jerry

how to buy(11:28am EST Fri Aug 13 2004)
Good day,
well am robert johnson and am an wholesaler.i buy phones and sel them,please if u have any to sell,let me know and the product and also there price.
Your reply is needed urgently.
thanks.
R.Jonhson. – by R.Jonhson.

Optional…(10:52am EST Sun Sep 05 2004)
For all you paranoid chowder heads screaming about privacy, most of these phones have the option to broadcast the GPS location ONLY when 911 is dialed. The GPS function can also be turned off completely in the settings if you desire.
And if “they” bother turn it on remotely, chances are you deserve to be caught. Big Brother is not likely to watch you unless you’ve proven you need to be watched. – by Get A Life

GPS cell phones(3:24pm EST Thu Nov 11 2004)
Guess what. The wireless carriers can track your calls with out GPS. And no its not being stored in some data base to later used by big brother. Mostly the information is used to add more capacity to the network to allow more users access to the network. – by Wireless Engineer

gps in cell phones(11:28am EST Tue Nov 30 2004)
I mostly have a question. Is it true that the soldiers who have cell phones, can be tracked by the insurgents and can be shot at just by using a cell phone? Please email me with information concerning this. arhod9@aol.com You see the Red Cross confinscated all of the cell phones from the troops before they left the US. I know because it happened to my son and his unit. My son wants me to send his cell back to him but if it is going to put him in MORE danger then I won’t do it. Please advise. – by anita

To Get A Life and others like them(5:14am EST Fri Dec 03 2004)
“For all you paranoid chowder heads screaming about privacy, most of these phones have the option to broadcast the GPS location ONLY when 911 is dialed.”GetALife, if you actually took the time to look upwards, this was started Oct 1st 2001, 3 years before you come calling people “chowder heads”. No one knew what would happen. In fact, it’s most likely that everyone’s complaining is the reason you have the ability to turn it off. It’s actually bubble heads like yourself that are the most likely cause for privacy concerns in the first place.

Companies try sneaky things, and if no one complains, they do a little more etc. There are privacy issues with google/yahoo search. It watches everything you search. If you buy extended services with Visa, it knows your PC, By IP address and knows it’s YOU, w/ visa address, home phone etc.

My comment about internet appears irrelevant but it’s all connected. MS does have satallites up already. Three years later and there are already news stories about a stalker using a gps cell phone to stalk his girlfriened. . It’s to offer prizes. I’m at least glad to hear of the “Off” feature. If it really means that.– by W204.23 E71.22

too funny(9:11pm EST Fri Dec 10 2004)
I can see how some would be unhappy about this. But I highly doubt anyone will keep huge databases of whare cell phone users are. Big databases=money
Big useless Databases=lost money
it’s as simple as that. But on the flipside this is a really handy feature if they make a phone that will really exploit it for all it can do for the user. – by Goth

SPRINT WIRELESS PCMCIA CARD(3:26pm EST Wed Dec 15 2004)
I have a sprint cell and a 550 wireless card for my laptop.. we have a cam in my car but im trying to get my cell or my wireless inter net GPS? how can people know ware the cam is? they cant! I would like to find some software that can do this for me.
Ross Ross@suncam.tv – by Ross

Paranoid(11:45pm EST Sat Dec 25 2004)
It’s easy to acuse people of being paranoid because they don’t want to be tracked. The most common answer that “paranoid” people get is: “well, there a lot of devices that are actually tracking you (the IP, the surveillance cameras, car location systems), so one more won’t hurt you”.They are wrong, this one could hurt you. I can imagine one hundred uses for jealous wives or husbands, stupid parents, greedy lawyers (“isn’t it true that on January 1st, you went into this neighborhood ?” -who can remember that?), drug dealers, hired guns, Osama Bin Laden, or even your boss (“Hi, Bob. Why are you at the Starbucks instead of the office ?”).

Of course that there are another hundred good uses (in case that you were kidnapped, or if your plane crashes and they try to locate your scorched remains), but the essential feature that we are all forgetting is that technology must be an option, not an obligation. The answer is not “don’t use a phone”, but to ask manufacturers to put a little effort for privacy for their users. – by thorazine free :)

GPS is NOT Turned Off(10:52am EST Thu Jan 27 2005)
Hey guys i work for a 411 directory assistance company and just yesterday we were taught how to use this GPS feature on callers cell phones. The truth is the feature is NOT used for 911 calls only. We are taught to use this feature when a caller asks for the nearest ATM etc etc It pin points where they are so we can give them the nearest atm or business near them. The crazy thing is i can get into our computer (they showed us) and type in ANYONE’S cell phone number and pull up exactly where they are WITHOUT THEM EVEN BEING ON THE PHONE! This is real GPS Sh-T!! Dont let them fool u with this 911 call bull sh-t! Just thought u guys should know! – by Mike P.

Question for Mike P.(12:17am EST Mon Jan 31 2005)
Mike wrote: “The crazy thing is i can get into our computer (they showed us) and type in ANYONE’S cell phone number and pull up exactly where they are WITHOUT THEM EVEN BEING ON THE PHONE!”
Just to be clear, the phone must be powered on, correct? Let’s say my mobile phone’s battery goes dead… Can someone still be tracked if the phone is turned off? – by Derm

Privacy Violation and Identity Theft(12:24pm EST Wed Feb 16 2005)
I believe my husband conspired with local authorities and friends in the local Verizon cite to monitor me. I need help in proving this through my phone bills and records. I can tell you stories involving 911 calls I did make, continuous problems with the computer, my cell phone blinking in the middle of the night indicating internet usage when I got up to go to potty, but I did not sign up for the internet. Eventually my phone was stolen. Verizon will not give me access to my phone records on my regular phone without a subpoena. I have the mysterious 0000 destination calls that are not games. Help me. The police will not give me their reports that also include a home break in that only left the computer nonoperative.There is more stuff but no time to mentions. Our county just set up a deal on the 911 survellance thing with Verizon. Harrisburg, PA – by Pamela Purnell Cook

Answer to Pamela Cook(5:43pm EST Sat Feb 19 2005)Lay off the weed if you can’t control the paranoia. I’m just kidding about that. All computers have *continuous* problems, believe me, I’m a super computer nerd. It has nothing to do with your conspiracy theories. If you knew anything about technology and how it works you’d know that what you’re saying is just plain crazy. I did not sign up for the internet usage, and I can still connect on accident. My phone blinks in the middle of the night too for all kinds of REASONABLE reasons. I know you won’t believe anybody no matter how much they try to explain things to you. Just get help–you’re not the first person suffering from paranoia.

– by HS

Answer to Other Paranoids(5:53pm EST Sat Feb 19 2005)The reason your cell phones have the ability to be turned off is because they are designed and regulated by reasonable people WHO ALREADY KNOW about the constitution and privacy.

This is America: Every business is either NOT violating your privacy, violating your privacy with your consent, or violating the law. If your privacy IS BEING VIOLATED, instead of wrapping your head in tin foil, go out and start suing somebody.

However, complaining about how THEY are going to violate your privacy IN THE FUTURE….why don’t you let the people of the future take care of themselves. I am from the future(2005) and I can keep an eye out for my own privacy. I don’t need you people from 2001 doing it for me. People of the future aren’t idiots!!! They might even be smarter than you are!! – by HS

GPS on MOTOROLA E680(6:56pm EST Fri Mar 18 2005)
If you haven’t seen this phone yet, then watch out! O.k. the RAZOR is cool, but limited. Hence the E680! Personally I would like to install GPS of some sorts. Does anybody know of software that can be downloaded to this phone? All your help would be wonderful and much appreciated! – by Britton Scott

we have the product(Mobile Phones) you want to order at a cheap price(10:51pm EST Mon Aug 15 2005)
Dear
Buyer,Am Mr John from UK. we have the product(Mobile Phones) you want to
order at a cheap price. we will like you to send your reply to the
sales department at sales@jgphonestore.org
We await your mail
Regards,

John
cheap price– by John

Guess what(4:23pm EST Thu Aug 25 2005)
Verizon no longer will let you activate a non-GPS phone. Basically, no one should ever buy or sell one of the non-gps phones again. – by Wicked BS

Planned Obsolescence & Big Brother(7:21pm EST Sun Sep 04 2005)
My wife & I renewed with Verizon in May. I had Verizon program both my Startacs (not knowing they would be obsolete by year end).
In the last few weeks most phone calls near my job (42nd St. Grand Central, NYC) got dropped even though the phone works 100% away from that area. Walk into the area &calls drop.
I didn�t know about the GPS law but suspect proximity to Grand Central calls may be interfered with/scrambled by NYPD or other agency.
I complain to Verizon. They say to have the phone flash upgraded or patched.
So I waste time walking to Verizon & their team tells me to get a new phone because they have no patch & the new/old law prohibits programming non-GPS phones (though the GPS law doesn�t have to be fulfilled til 12/31/2005). They also will not transfer my number to one of my backup phones because of the law.
Verizon knew when they programmed my phones in May they weren�t compatible but wanted my business.
Verizon will make money off the upgrades (phones & accessories) so why bother disagreeing with the FCC & the Big Brother Bush administration.
Something�s not right put US back into the United States take back our rights.
Taxation without representation is happening all over & being tracked by GPS when we don�t want it is uncalled for.
In NYC Guiliani had Fire Alarm boxes removed because people had cell phones (because all the pay phones had been vandalized �why should phone companies fix the pay phones when they get more $ from cell phones.
If you go to a protest rally against the war, all they�ll need do is scan the area to get every cell phone number & you can expect a call from the local PD, CIA or FBI.
This has absolutely nothing to do with helping us. It has more to do with social engineering being forced on us & those in power knowing how to get around being effected by laws they don�t want to be effected by. (Witness Congress not receiving social security because they have a better deal, but changing the law on social security.) – by CommonSense

GPS and….(11:10am EST Fri Sep 16 2005)
Aw heck, I don’t want to be tracked for no reason, like so many others, and I have no reason to feel especially worried about what I have been doing, either…on the other hand, what about implanting GPS transponders into child molesters or persons on parole? – by slurpee

ANY KNOWN SERVICES (5:43am EST Wed Nov 30 2005)
I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW OF ANY GPS TRACKING CO THAT GIVE THAT INFO TO PUBLIC – by cox,j

Whats this tell you(4:45am EST Sat Dec 24 2005)
Buy a Pocket PC or Palm based phone and learn to write programs and re-write the phone interface. That way you can ensure it’s disabled. – by learnning2Program

cell phone surveillance by police when calling 911(4:16pm EST Fri Dec 30 2005)
How do I stop the police from getting my cell number when I call 911?
In some cities the police and gang members are partners in crime– by CHI

heh(4:23pm EST Fri Dec 30 2005)
Some law enforcement officers are in league with criminals.
Scenario you report a crime via 911
Your name and # is displayed then given to the perpetrators. That�s not paranoia!– by CHI

thanks(12:36am EST Sun Jan 08 2006)
This is an excellent site thanks for the information! – by andy

Telefonsex(1:07am EST Sun Apr 16 2006)
Ralph:
.– by John

not so funny(10:39pm EST Sun May 28 2006)
I believe a gps sevice is great when I go fishing. But when employers give you a phone to use then tell you it a benifit. You have better take notice. Your not alone out there. We have a subsciber that monitors the whereabouts of some 14k employees by gps. – by by willie

get over it(12:27am EST Sat Jun 24 2006)
If you guys didn’t know already, a credit card all your credit card puchases your social security card etc. put you on the national grid. Don’t you get it we can be tracked and our phones are fair game as far as Bush is concerned. Wake up this is just a small step to what has already begun. Privacy is what you percieve it to be, your accessable whenever wherever. – by by AJ

GPS(10:54am EST Tue Jul 04 2006)
The whole purpose of a navigational system is to find directions of an area where you that you have not traveled before. these assholes that are crying about liberty are the first ones who will belly ache about government lack of security, if anything were to occur. If you dont like it, dont buy it. There is always a landline phone somewhere. The plain and simple fact is that people who complain are just paranoid and GPS will only go foward. – by manny

F-ing idiots(6:39pm EST Wed Sep 13 2006)
Any of you that have the quote “You shouldn’t be worried if your not doing anything wrong.” or anything associated with that comment must live in let say….Cuba. You are the same people that think this country is a Democracy, when it is a representative republic. That means dumb asses that the people and our constitution rule. And this is unconstitutional. I did not sign an agreement (like your drivers license) that gives anyone the right to track me or my personally owned property. It is my right (for the government educated) in a free market for me to have a cell phone from a private organization and NOT BE TRACKED. So wake up, call you buddy Castro,turn something on other than American Idol or Entertainment tonight and, pay attention the changes that are happening in your country that many died to protect us against… – by Chief Mendez